NMSA News:
The New Mexico School for the Arts Percussion Ensemble invites the Santa Fe community to an energetic and wide-ranging evening of percussion music titled “Let’s Get Together and Hit Stuff,” at 6 p.m., Thursday, April 9, in the Zane Bennett Gathering Space at NMSA. Admission is free.
The concert features the acclaimed NMSA Percussion Ensemble, recently recognized as the 2026 NMMEA Honor Ensemble and invited to perform at Popejoy Hall in Albuquerque for the New Mexico Music Educators Association All-State Conference—one of the state’s highest honors for a student ensemble.
Known for its adventurous programming and high-level musicianship, the NMSA percussion program has become one of the most respected high school ensembles in the region. Its alumni have gone on to study at leading music institutions including CalArts, The New School, New York University, the University of Denver, and Lawrence Conservatory, among others.
The April 9 program reflects the remarkable breadth of contemporary percussion performance. Audiences will hear African marimba music, works by John Cage, Steve Reich, and Christopher Rouse, as well as a striking arrangement of a Béla Bartók string quartet adapted for marimbas and vibraphones. The concert will also feature original arrangements of video game scores, showcasing the ensemble’s creative approach to modern repertoire and collaborative performance.
With its mix of driving rhythm, shimmering resonance, and theatrical ensemble playing, the performance offers Santa Fe audiences a rare opportunity to experience percussion as a true chamber music art form—performed by some of New Mexico’s most dedicated young musicians.
This event continues NMSA’s tradition of presenting bold, artistically ambitious student performances that contribute to Santa Fe’s vibrant arts community.
About NMSA and NMSA- Art Institute
Founded in 2010 and based in Santa Fe, New Mexico School for the Arts (NMSA) is the state’s only statewide, tuition-free, public arts high school, offering young artists a unique dual-curriculum program. NMSA integrates a college-preparatory academic education with intensive pre-professional arts training.
While NMSA’s academic programming is funded by New Mexico public school dollars, its arts training and statewide community engagement programs are overseen and funded by NMSA – Art Institute, a nonprofit organization that relies on the generosity of individual and institutional donors.
For more information, visit nmschoolforthearts.org.